An IT Therapy approach to adopting ICTs

Meeting the Challenges of ICT Adoption by Micro-

enterprises1
Peter Wolcott2 Mehruz Kamal2 Sajda Qureshi2
pwolcott@mail.unomaha.edu mkamal@mail.unomaha.edu squreshi@mail.unomaha.edu
2
Department of Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis
College of Information Science &Technology
University of Nebraska at Omaha
6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE 68182-0116

Peter Wolcott: He obtained his Ph.D. in 1993 from the Department of Management Information Systems
at the University of Arizona, where he pursued interests in the international dimensions of information
technology. Dr. Wolcott has long-standing interests in the international dimensions of information
technologies. His most active research at present focuses on the role of information technology for
development (ITD). He teaches students to apply ITD concepts and practices to promote economic,
social, and human development in micro-enterprises.

Mehruz Kamal: She is currently pursuing her PhD in Information Technology in the College of
Information Science and Technology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Her current research
interests include IT adoption in small businesses and knowledge networking. Her research work has been
presented at various peer-reviewed conferences and workshops such as AMCIS, HICSS, and MWAIS.
She holds a Masters and a Bachelors of Science degree in Computer Science from Illinois Institute of
Technology. Mehruz currently serves as the Editorial Assistant for the Journal of Information Technology
for Development.

Sajda Qureshi: She is an Associate Professor at the Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis
Department at the College of Information Science and Technology at the University of Nebraska at
Omaha. She holds a Ph.D. in Information Systems from the London School of Economics. She has over
60 publications in journals such as Group Decision and Negotiation, Information Infrastructure and
Policy and Communications of the ACM, books published by Prentice Hall, Springer-Verlag, Chapman
and Hall and North-Holland and conferences such as the ICIS and HICSS. She is currently the Editor-in-
Chief of the Journal of Information and Technology for Development.

1
An earlier version of this paper was published as Wolcott, P., Qureshi, S., and Kamal, M. "An Information
Technology Therapy Approach to Microenterprise Adoption of ICTs," Proceedings of the Thirteenth
Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS), Association for Information Systems, Keystone,
CO, Aug 9-12, 2007.

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 An IT Therapy approach to adopting ICTs

Abstract
Purpose
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) open new opportunities for
micro-enterprises to improve their businesses. However challenges to using ICTs
impede these businesses from growing into drivers for development. This paper
investigates the adoption of ICTs in eleven micro-enterprises in an underserved
community of Omaha, Nebraska.

Methodology
Following an action research study, this research provides insight into the key
challenges and opportunities facing micro-enterprises in their use of ICTs to
create value for their businesses.

Findings
The process of “IT Therapy” provides individualized technology-related
assistance, with an emphasis on relationship-building, customized training,
context sensitivity, and solutions that target strongly-perceived needs of the
businesses studied.

Originality
The paper’s contribution is in the methodology for facilitating the adoption of
ICTs in micro-enterprises.

Keywords: Micro-enterprise, Information Technology, IT adoption, IT Therapy,

action research, ICT for Development

Classification: Research Paper

Introduction

The use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) by small and medium sized

enterprises (SMEs) is a challenge in both developed and developing countries (Schreiner and

Woller 2003, Sanders 2002, Lichtenstein and Lyons 2001, Hyman and Dearden 1998, Honig

1998). Small and medium sized businesses are organizations that employ fewer than 500 people,

and typically have problems adopting IT (Riemenschneider et al 2003). A form of small business

investigated in this paper is the micro-enterprise. A micro-enterprise is a business with five or

fewer employees (Nebraska micro business resource directory, 2007). These tiny businesses may

be home-based, farm-based or street front businesses and can be either part-time or full-time

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 An IT Therapy approach to adopting ICTs

businesses. Micro-enterprises are at the leading edge of the enterprise formation process and are

found everywhere: rural, urban, as well as in suburban areas in both developed and developing

countries.

This paper considers the challenges faced by micro-enterprises in adopting ICTs to improve their

businesses. It investigates a set of micro-enterprises in underserved communities of Omaha,

Nebraska through a service learning course entitled Information Technology for Development

(IT4D). The micro-enterprises had received hardware and software through a grant from the

eBay Foundation. Through a series of action research steps, the authors and their students

diagnosed and treated the ICT challenges faced by the micro-enterprises through a process of

“Information Technology (IT) Therapy”. This process involved providing individualized IT

solutions to pressing problems and opportunities.

Theoretical Background

Micro-enterprises and Information Technology

Small businesses play an important role in economies all over the world by creating jobs and

contributing to the socio-economic development of their communities. Micro-enterprises

contribute to industrialization in at least two ways. First, they graduate to become larger

companies; and second, owners of micro-enterprises can accrue capital to be passed onto the

next generation to start bigger businesses (Grosh and Somolekae 1996).

Selective use of technology can benefit micro-enterprises in several ways. ICTs can help

businesses gain better access to information and expertise, reach new markets and customers (or

more generally, stakeholders), administer the business more efficiently and effectively, and grow

in the knowledge and skills needed to run the businesses better (Qureshi 2005). To realize the

potential of ICTs, small businesses must view them from economic, management, and marketing

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 An IT Therapy approach to adopting ICTs

perspectives (Brady, et al, 2002). A holistic view of ICTs can stimulate small businesses to adopt

new technologies, create innovative products, and be competitive (Barba-Sanchez et al., 2007).

Nevertheless, micro-enterprises face a host of challenges in adopting and using ICTs.

Challenges to ICT adoption by Small businesses

Frequently, small business owners possess little or no training on ICTs and lack awareness of the

benefits that ICTs may provide to their business. The result is a major barrier to ICT adoption.

The smaller the enterprise, the greater that this problem becomes, since most small companies

are not using information technology for their business activities – with the exception of minor

accounting services (Barba-Sanchez et al, 2007). Table 1 lists other factors that come into play as

small businesses adopt and implement new technologies.

Table 1 ICT adoption challenges

Citation ICT adoption challenges

Furuholt & Ørvik (2006)
Yap (1989)
Duncombe and Heeks (2002)
 Mansell and Wehn (1998)
 Hazan (2002)
 Owen and Darkwa (1999)
 Dogson (1993)
 Holmqvist (2003)
Baark and Heeks (1998)
 Latchem and Walker (2001)
 O'Farrell, Norrish, and Scott
 Lack of top management engagement
 Knowledge barriers and staff resistance
 Lack of Utilitarian value and other personal incentives
 The Symbolic value of Information Technology
 Poor Organization
 Poor infrastructure
 Other contextual and culture-based reasons
Underestimation of the amount of time and effort that might need to be
spent in implementing information technology solutions
 Remote locations
 Lack of education and literacy on the part of the business owner
 Poor business skills
 Poverty
 Lack of affordability
 Lack of transportation
Lack of affordability of information and communication technologies
Lack of awareness about IT
Fear of technology transfer failure to organizations
Poor infrastructure

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 An IT Therapy approach to adopting ICTs

(1999)
 Barton and Bear (1999)
Lefebvre and Lefebvre (1996)
 Leenders and Wierenga (2002)
 Prasad et al. (2001)
 Roberts (2000)
Argyres (1999)
 Lack of Government policies that regulate information and
communication technologies
 Lack of management’s capacity to incorporate IT into small
business environments
 Lack of available ICT competencies within the firm
 Lack of availability and high cost of appropriate interoperable
small-firm systems
 Lack of network infrastructure
 Lack of ICT-related support services
 Rapid and sudden rate of introducing ICT-based solutions

Wei and Morgan (2004) Lack of adequate training and support

 Lucchetti and Steriacchini
Lack of positive Entrepreneurial spirit combined with lack of
(2004)
managerial innovation
 Acs and Varga (2005)
Figure 2 illustrates the challenges faced by micro-enterprises as they attempt to adopt ICT. The

challenges have been grouped into six categories: capabilities, attitude, resources, context,

access, and operations. This model serves a lens through which the action research methodology

of this research is carried out. The question is how can these challenges be met? In this paper we

discuss an “IT Therapy” approach that has proved successful in mitigating many of the issues

identified here.

Figure 1 Challenges to ICT Adoption by Micro-enterprises.

* indicates challenge identified in Table 1

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 An IT Therapy approach to adopting ICTs

Methodology

Action research involves the application of tools and methods from the social and behavioral

sciences to practical problems with the intention both of improving the practice and of

contributing to theory and knowledge in the area studied. Action researchers participate directly

in a situation in order to apply a theory and evaluate the value of that theory (Checkland, 1991).

The action researchers in this study included university students of an IT for Development

(IT4D) course who partnered with micro-enterprises in Omaha, Nebraska. The micro-enterprise

owners were all recipients of small technology grants from eBay Foundation’s Techquity Grant

Program, which offers small grants, typically around $2000, to be used for purchasing hardware,

software, and training that promote the development of micro-enterprises. The grant program

was locally administered by the New Community Development Corporation (NCDC), a non-

profit that provides affordable housing and business development services in the greater Omaha

area.

On location at the micro-enterprises, students worked with business owners to understand the

business and existing technology, implement technology-based projects, and train business

owners as appropriate. We refer to this process as "IT Therapy" in which assistance was given to

the micro-business owner to solve immediate IT needs. Students gathered data on the situation or

being studied through observation and interviews at the micro-enterprise. Students maintained a

reflective journal, worked on assigned class exercises and readings, and prepared a technology

plan for the micro-businesses. The class served as a sounding board for issues and proposed

solutions, offered advice or relevant information, and offered constructive criticism of proposed

courses of action. Figure 2 shows the action research approach followed in this study.

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 An IT Therapy approach to adopting ICTs

Figure 2 Applying the Action Research Methodology

This study investigated eleven micro-enterprises located in Omaha, Nebraska.

1. LD specializes in high quality soups and sandwiches. During the period of this study LD

moved its deli from its original location to a better one that could serve local businesses and

students.

2. FD specializes in the design of elegant, conservative women’s clothing. The owner has

aspirations of being a player in the global fashion market.

3. CZ is a franchise that pairs individuals of all ages who need tutoring in any subject with

tutors who can provide the service.

4. HH offers a structured residence with treatment and support services to individuals who are

transitioning from a treatment program back to society.

5. HE offers massage therapy services. The owner is seeking to diversify into the retail sale of

a variety of natural health products.

6. EP is a modeling agency that provides models who reflect the diversity of “normal” (non-

glamorous) Americans.

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 An IT Therapy approach to adopting ICTs

7. HC is an on-line business selling wedding cake toppers that reflect the ethnic diversity of

customers.

8. CC provides pet grooming services.

9. PT writes and performs urban gospel music. He has very little experience using computers.

10. DE sells eye glasses. He seeks to expand to offer a broader set of eye-care products and

services.

11. TC is a startup selling bicycle seat covers.

Results and Analysis

Students of the IT4D class worked closely with their community partners to identify the

technology-related issues that were perceived as immediate and significant by the entrepreneurs,

and were amenable to short-term fixes. While there were some cross-cutting needs (e.g.

development or enhancement of a web site), other needs varied greatly, ranging from learning to

turn on and synchronize a PDA with a laptop, to learning to create effective PowerPoint

presentations, to enhancing the search-engine visibility of a web site, to installing and

configuring software.

IT Therapy Results

The IT Therapy component of the work was focused on the entrepreneurs’ strongly perceived

issues and problems. For example: LD’s Internet connection was very unreliable; HH needed

to provide better statistics to stakeholders; EP was frustrated by having to maintain duplicate

accounting systems at work and at home. Students also identified solutions to problems the

entrepreneurs may not have been aware of. CC had junk software removed from the desktop; the

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 An IT Therapy approach to adopting ICTs

visibility of EP’s web site was poor in the major search engines. The appendix includes other

examples of tasks performed for each company and their impact.

Table 2 classifies the IT Therapy tasks that the students performed based on the major categories

of IT effects on development as mentioned in Qureshi (2005). Specifically, Table 2 shows us the

outcomes that came about from the context-sensitive IT interventions that were applied to each

of the micro-enterprises in the study. Overwhelmingly, the immediate needs were in the areas of

administrative efficiencies and, to a lesser extent, access to markets. Access to information,

knowledge, and expertise was a less pressing concern; the entrepreneurs understood their

businesses quite well and in most cases had sufficient information and expertise to run them. The

learning and increased labor productivity category focuses on the use of technology to provide

training and education. While the students provided on-going training and instruction in how to

use the technologies or benefit from the solutions, this instruction was provided in a face-to-face

context rather than using ICT to provide the training itself. The example of job creation observed

during the semester was a halfway house guest finding a job by using the new Internet

connection to post his resume on the web. In short, the IT Therapy tasks tended to reflect the

hierarchy of needs perceived by the entrepreneurs.

Table 2 Classification of IT Therapy Tasks

Effect of IT implementation on development (Qureshi 2005) Number of IT Therapy tasks

Access to information, knowledge, and expertise 3

Competitiveness and access to markets 13

Administrative efficiencies 19

Learning and increased labor productivity 1

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 An IT Therapy approach to adopting ICTs

Contribution to poverty reduction (e.g. job creation) 1

This study provided a lens to investigate the extent to which specific, context-sensitive assistance

and partnership can multiply and serve as drivers for the effectiveness of technology. In some

cases, were it not for the involvement of the students, the technology would not have been used

at all and have had no impact. The following testimonials from some of the micro-enterprise

owners are evidence of this fact.

 “I can’t tell you how much this has helped me out. This has been such a blessing.”

 “[The student] brought a lot of value.”

 “Sometimes it’s hard for us to conceptualize what we do. The [information] flow chart really

helped us out.”

 “I realized I’m afraid of the web. [The student] was really patient.”

Challenges to ICT Adoption

The IT Therapy approach has proved to be effective in addressing many, though not all, of the

challenges to IT adoption by micro-enterprises identified in Figure 1. In this section we describe

this impact in greater detail.

Attitude-related challenges

Lack of top management engagement

Since the entrepreneurs had applied for and received a technology grant and had chosen to work

with the students, they were predisposed to being motivated and engaged in the process. Even so,

micro-enterprise owners differed in their level of engagement. Though she describes herself as

one who has a hard time getting started on a new task, the massage therapist HE said of the

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student working with her, “I really appreciated that little boost of adrenaline, knowing I had to

get ready for our next meeting.” In other cases, students were not able to overcome a “just do it

for me” attitude.

Resistance to technology

The entrepreneurs differed widely in their technical knowledge and skills. In all cases,

entrepreneurs had little time to devote to learning new technology and could easily become

frustrated. Some feared making some technology-related mistake that would undermine their

business. All carried a great deal of business risk and had little interest in adding technology

risk.

IT Therapy is well suited for overcoming resistance based on negative attitudes towards

technology. Students clarified misconceptions about technology and provided a safety net for

entrepreneurs as they ventured into new technological areas. A major challenge for the students

was to move forward at a pace appropriate for the entrepreneurs and not overwhelm them with

technology options. In the case of DE, who wanted to keep track of customer visits to his

eyewear shop, a database solution with an easy-to-use interface would be a good long-term

solution. However, the student began by teaching DE to enter key customer data into a

spreadsheet. At each meeting, the student showed DE a few more steps to take, and left him

with a small task to complete before the next meeting. DE gained a sense of accomplishment,

which fueled his enthusiasm for the technology.

Lack of Utilitarian Value and Other Personal Incentives

By definition, IT Therapy is utilitarian. It focuses on strongly perceived technology needs. As a

result, students encountered very few cases in which the entrepreneurs failed to see the value in

the technology.

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 An IT Therapy approach to adopting ICTs

Excessive Symbolic Value of Information Technology

The symbolic value of IT becomes a barrier when its value as a symbol exceeds its practical

value. Technology may be acquired for its symbolic value, but not used. Each of the

entrepreneurs was passionate about his or her business and viewed technology primarily as a tool

for getting business done.

Lack of awareness

The IT Therapy approach provides opportunities for the micro-enterprise owner to learn about

the technological solutions that are available for particular problems. For example, CC, dog

groomer, was unaware of the need to back up critical business data. The student set up an on-

line backup system for her. PT, a composer and urban gospel performer, wanted a web presence,

but required a high degree of interaction with his fans. Through discussions with the student, he

became aware of MySpace and determined that this was a more appropriate initial solution. In

other cases, students researched commercial products to meet a need.

Lack of confidence

Many micro-enterprise owners have little time to spend on tasks not directly related to running

their business and fear experimenting with technology. In these cases our students provided

assurance that problems would not be created or could easily be fixed if they were. For example,

HC was afraid to update her web site, because she felt a change would cause the site to crash.

By working with the student she gained confidence in adding or updating product descriptions

and prices. The massage therapist HE had grown discouraged when trying to use Office products

on her own. With the student’s help, she gained initial confidence in using these products, and

by the end of the semester was actively learning new capabilities on her own and became eager

to show off her accomplishments.

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 An IT Therapy approach to adopting ICTs

Lack of trust

While most of the entrepreneurs were very willing to work with the students, others were less so.

Establishing trust is a critical element of the IT Therapy process. With its emphasis on personal

relationships, customized support, and early emphasis on projects with a high perceived need and

probability of success, IT Therapy is well suited to building trust. Nevertheless, building trust

may require considerable effort. With EP, a combination of some missed meetings and lack of

communication over periods of time led to a lack of trust that became a barrier that had to be

negotiated before IT Therapy could be carried out successfully. Through persistence and

patience, the student was able to build the trust necessary to bring about successful results.

Context-related challenges

Other Contextual and Culture-Based Reasons

The entrepreneurs in Omaha, both male and female, exhibit a great deal of diversity in ethnicity,

culture, the demographics of the neighborhoods in which they are located, and professional

background. The students were a similarly diverse group. The pairing of students with

entrepreneurs was based primarily on skill sets, student interest in the micro-enterprises’

business, and gender2, not on ethnicity or culture. As a result, in almost each case a student was

paired with an entrepreneur who differed from themselves in one or more of these dimensions.

Some of the issues identified above, expectations and trust in particular, may have had some

basis in ethnicity or culture, but more likely reflected personal characteristics of the individuals

involved. Whatever the circumstances, the IT Therapy provided opportunities for students and

2
For example, a male student was paired with an entrepreneur who ran a halfway house for males; a female student was paired with a female
massage therapist.

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 An IT Therapy approach to adopting ICTs

entrepreneurs to communicate, build trust, achieve concrete results, and work through cultural or

contextual issues.

Mismatch between technology and social/business systems

When a mismatch between the technology and the social or business systems exists, an

entrepreneur may feel that the technology adds little value. Our students are trained to be very

aware of and discover the business and social systems that are at work in the micro-enterprise.

For example, in the case of PT, the urban gospel musician, the student spent a great deal of time

talking with the entrepreneur, learning about the many musicians in his family and investigating

how they and others were using the web to promote themselves. He showed PT how he could

join this community and interact with his fans through a MySpace site.

Operational challenges

Poor operational procedures and support

A problem facing all of the micro-enterprises in our study is that there is no ICT support service

for them. The businesses are too small to hire their own technology staff, and usually cannot

afford to hire an IT consultant. For a semester, university students can fill this need. Students

were instructed to make sure that the entrepreneurs had adequate backup and virus protection

systems in place and that they were comfortable using them. In most cases, no such systems

existed and entrepreneurs had little awareness that they were needed. However, the problem of

long-term support is not adequately solved by the IT Therapy approach described in this paper.

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 An IT Therapy approach to adopting ICTs

Capability-related challenges

Inadequate IT user skills

Whether real or perceived, a lack of skills is a great hindrance to the use of IT in micro-

enterprises. As EP, the modeling agency put it

“As a small business I have competency issues when it comes to technology. It

takes so much of my time to figure out administrative and technical programs that

I typically give up. I am unable to get my administrative work done in a timely

manner and it hinders me from marketing to clients for more sales.”

One of the tasks for the student is to identify the kind of training that would be most beneficial to

the entrepreneur. In some cases, showing the entrepreneur how to perform a task is sufficient.

In other cases, students might put together a small training program that was carried out over the

course of the semester. In yet other cases, a student might recommend a course at a local

technical college.

Poor troubleshooting skills

When an entrepreneur encounters a problem and has neither the time, the skills, nor the insight to

fix the problem, discouragement and frustration grow. While troubleshooting is an advanced

skill that we did not expect entrepreneurs to acquire in full, students taught entrepreneurs about

common errors. The entrepreneurs also learned something of the troubleshooting thought

process by sitting together with a student as he or she worked through a problem.

Inadequate IT development capability

Few micro-enterprises have the resources to hire developers to create production-quality

software systems. Such projects were also beyond the scope of student work during the

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 An IT Therapy approach to adopting ICTs

semester. Just as a medical general practitioner must refer patients to specialists when the

healthcare needs become too great, a student engaged in IT Therapy typically will not provide

complex services to the micro-enterprise.

Lack of IT planning ability

SMEs have difficulties planning the adoption of information technology (Lefebvre and Lefebvre,

1996; Argyres 1999; Yap, 1989). Owners may underestimate the time and effort required, lack

the capacity to manage adoption efforts, or simply be overwhelmed by their inability to break the

overall task into a sequence of manageable tasks. Students addressed these challenges on a

number of levels. First, given an immediate problem or opportunity, students had to be able to

apply the project management skills they had learned to define tasks, establish project scope, and

manage a schedule. This process often entailed addressing a barrier that micro-enterprise owners

have frequently mentioned: that they don’t know the steps to take to achieve a desired outcome.

If individual students were themselves unsure of the steps to take, they could fall back on the

advice of classmates and instructors, or carry out their own research to find a solution. Second,

students prepared a technology plan to provide micro-enterprise owners with a roadmap for

future IT initiatives.

Lack of IT knowledge

In almost all cases, micro-enterprise owners have insufficient IT knowledge to address the

information-related challenges facing the business. The lack of knowledge may be a function of

other factors shown in Figure 1: lack of time, lack of awareness, lack of confidence, etc. In

each of the examples listed in the appendix, students added to the IT knowledge of the micro-

enterprise owner. Sometimes the knowledge was general (e.g. the need for regular backups of

data), and sometimes specific (e.g. how to embed audio and video in a PowerPoint presentation).

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 An IT Therapy approach to adopting ICTs

Resource challenges

Lack of money

The lack of financial resources is a common constraint among micro-enterprises. While the IT

Therapy approach does not directly provide money to a micro-enterprise, it can help in several

ways. First, students research and implement low-cost solutions to problems. The deli LD was

paying $100 per month to a web hosting company that was providing few services. The student

researched alternatives and found a hosting solution that provided better support for a fraction of

the cost. Second, the application of ICT leads to economic development. By creating an e-

commerce solution for the bicycle seat cover vendor TC, the student helped increase the

company’s revenue.

Lack of time

Micro-enterprise entrepreneurs have little time to spend (or waste) on technology. Students

engaged in IT Therapy save businesses time in at least several ways. First, they are able to bring

about a desired result—training, development, troubleshooting—more efficiently. Second,

students are able to do product or solution research that entrepreneurs would not have time for.

Third, the solutions students put in place save time. For example, by teaching the massage

therapist how to use a PDA to manage her schedule and contact list, the student saved the

entrepreneur a great deal of time daily.

Lack of information

Although one can find information seemingly about anything on the Internet, many micro-

enterprises suffer from not having information about technology, business support services, grant

opportunities, markets, legal services, and many other concerns that could benefit them. A

student was able to put the bicycle seat cover vendor TC in touch with free community legal

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 An IT Therapy approach to adopting ICTs

services that could advise her on copyright issues. He also taught her how to search effectively

using Google. In other cases, students themselves researched ideas for technical alternatives.

Access challenges

Inadequate hardware and software

Obviously, a lack of technology limits a micro-enterprise’s ability to bring benefit through ICTs.

Providing hardware is not an objective of the IT Therapy approach, although in the case of the

halfway house HH the student was able to secure a donation of used PCs from a local university.

Students are often able to identify free software or evaluate commercial products.

Poor Infrastructure

Nearly half of the micro-enterprises had serious infrastructure issues. In each case, the

entrepreneur had sought to acquire Internet connectivity, but experienced limited or no

connectivity. The infrastructure needed by most micro-enterprises is minimal, well within the

capability of IS students to troubleshoot or implement. Since connectivity is fundamental to

many ICT benefits, and a lack of connectivity is a strongly perceived deficiency, establishing

connectivity was one of the first tasks students worked on. For example, the student worked

with the phone company’s technical support to fix problems with the deli LD’s Internet

connection. One of the first tasks for the eyewear vendor DE was to configure his e-mail

properly.

Discussion

Our results with the IT Therapy process contribute to our understanding of the role of IT in

micro-enterprises and of the challenges to IT adoption they face. While the micro-enterprises

did have such shared characteristics as size, geography, and participation in the Techquity Grant

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 An IT Therapy approach to adopting ICTs

program, they exhibited a great deal of diversity in the nature of the business, the technology

skills of the entrepreneurs, and their attitudes toward technology. The IT Therapy measures

carried out with these businesses and the benefits they yielded likewise reflected the similarity

and differences. Most fell into two of the categories in Qureshi’s framework – competitiveness

and access to markets, and administrative efficiencies – but each of the categories was

represented (Qureshi 2005). The experiences described in this paper provide support for the

perspective that ICTs are best understood as woven into the social and attitudinal systems at

work within the micro-enterprises. Using ICTs for the benefit of the businesses requires paying

close attention to the attitudes, capabilities, and context, not just the access, resources, and

operations needed to use the technology. Thanks to the Techquity Grants, access per se was not

an issue for most of the micro-enterprises we studied; the key issue was, as Warschauer points

out, unequal use rather than unequal access (Warschauer 2003).

While increasing micro-enterprise owners’ awareness of the potential of ICT and the inter-

relationship between the technology and the socio-organizational context within which it exists is

a vital task, the present research further underscores the need to cultivate such awareness among

those, like our students, who will play a role in carrying out IT Therapy and other forms of ICT

support for businesses. Training technology specialists who understand the details of the

technology but lack a strong awareness of the myriad ways in which technology can bring

benefit to a business, or who fail to appreciate the role of personal, organizational, and social

factors will not lead to successful technology use. “Forcing the introduction of technology is

one of the main reasons behind the failure of several attempts of the [businesses] to use ICTs

effectively” (Barba-Sanchez 2007).

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 An IT Therapy approach to adopting ICTs

Although the number of micro-enterprises participating in this research was not large, they did

experience most of the challenges to IT adoption identified in the literature (Table 1), and some

not commonly discussed (Figure 1). Some challenges played less of a role in our study than in

others because of the way in which the micro-enterprise partners were selected. All had

received hardware and software through the Techquity Grant and many had received network

connectivity and some rudimentary computer training as well. By choosing to participate with

students, they exhibited some willingness to apply technology in ways that would benefit their

business. This experience indicates that efforts to bring about economic and social development

in micro-enterprises through the use of ICT must also address a broad spectrum of challenges.

Efforts that are limited to one or two challenges, e.g. providing access and computer skills

training, are unlikely to be broadly successful.

IT Therapy may be considered a significant part of the solution, but it is not by itself a complete

solution. Our results show that the approach is well suited for addressing attitudinal challenges:

lack of trust, lack of confidence, lack of awareness, and resistance to technology. It can play a

role in overcoming some capability challenges. It can increase user IT knowledge and can

improve user IT skills, troubleshooting skills, and IT planning ability. However, it may not be

the most efficient way of delivering the generic IT knowledge that standardized course-based

instruction may offer. IT Therapy may not directly compensate for a shortage of time, money,

and information, but it may help economize each of these. For example, as a result of IT

Therapy, the micro-enterprise owner may become aware of open source alternatives to costly

commercial software. IT Therapy is least well suited for providing basic infrastructure,

professional development services, and on-going operational support services. An effort to

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 An IT Therapy approach to adopting ICTs

address the issues of ICT use in micro-enterprises fully must include a variety of mechanisms

including, but not limited to, IT Therapy.

Conclusion and Further Research

Micro-enterprises play a critical role in the economic and social development of a community.

Information and communications technologies can bring benefit to these organizations through a

variety of ways, but adopting technology is not easy and benefits are not guaranteed. Micro-

enterprises face a host of challenges in their own attitudes towards technology, their capabilities,

resources, access, operations, and business and social context. This paper describes the process

of IT Therapy, which is based on providing individualized technology-related assistance, with an

emphasis on relationship-building, customized training, context sensitivity, and solutions that

target strongly-perceived needs of the businesses. This approach is useful in mitigating most of

the challenges identified in this paper.

Future research will focus on quantifying the impact of IT Therapy approaches and establishing

means by which the efficiency of IT Therapy can be improved. The former include assessments

of changes in IT-related attitudes of micro-enterprise owners and in their IT capabilities. The

latter will center on a two-prong approach. For the individuals conducting IT Therapy,

patterns—solutions to recurring problems (Buschmann et al 1996)—may provide a starting point

for a specific solution to a concrete problem, enabling that individual to address problems more

quickly. At the institutional level, the challenge for stakeholders is how to provide on-going

technical support and guidance to the micro-enterprises who are not able to acquire it in the

conventional way. The experience of the IT for Development course offers an example of a short-

term solution. However, the needs persist beyond the end of the semester. The next step will be

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 An IT Therapy approach to adopting ICTs

to build on current experience and draw together the institutional continuity of the university, the

expertise and enthusiasm of faculty and students, the resources of larger technology savvy

organizations, and the commitment of non-profit agencies into an on-going effort that can meet

the technical support and development needs of micro-enterprises.

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Appendix
ME Task Impact Benefit Category
LD Evaluation of a POS ordered for the deli. The student researched registers and selected a POS. Administrative Efficiency

Establish reliable Internet connectivity to The student re-configured the hardware to make the Access to markets
the deli connection work.

Evaluate hosting solutions for the deli Student evaluated & selected effective web hosting Administrative efficiency
provider.

Researched options for wireless solutions Student identified viable options for the owner. Competitiveness
for customers at the deli
FD Create a PowerPoint presentation of the Owner won several contracts at the show, resulting from Competitiveness
fashion line that the owner could take presentation.
with her to a show out-of-state.
CZ Develop alternatives matrix to evaluate The analysis the student presented brought clarity. Administrative
options for acquiring software to support efficiencies
management & scheduling of tutors.
HH Taught owners to create effective New PowerPoint presentations are much more effective Competitiveness
PowerPoint presentations. than in the past.

Taught owners basic computer Owners are able to efficiently use the computers. Administrative efficiency
management skills

Established wireless network. Users are no longer tied to a specific location within the Access to information
house.

Install hardware in two houses, Internet connection helped obtained interview and a job Access to information;
connected to the Internet faster than anticipated for a guest.
Job creation

23
 An IT Therapy approach to adopting ICTs

HE Installed Microsoft Office 2003. The owner is able to create documents necessary for Administrative efficiency
business.

Connected an external CD-burner to the The owner is able to create backups of critical files Administrative efficiency
desktop machine.

Installed Zone-Alarm security on the The computers are much better protected against cyber Administrative efficiency
desktop. threats.

Opened and connected PDA, and The owner can use the PDA to manage contact Administrative
synchronized it with Outlook. information so that information is synchronized across effectiveness
systems.

Created web site The owner has been able to launch a new line of Competitiveness & access
business selling holistic healthcare products. to markets
EP Updated software on computer. Computer ran more efficiently and was better protected Administrative
against cyber threats. effectiveness

Installation of terminal services. Owner is able to log into the office machine from home, Administrative
eliminating the need to maintain duplicate systems effectiveness

Analysis and improvement of search The web site had rather poor visibility in the major Access to markets
engine placement. search engines. The web site is much more visible.
HC Create a completely new web site. The new website has a much more professional look. It Access to markets
is more attractive, easier to navigate

Provide technical training on web site The owner is able to add/delete products on her web site Administrative efficiency
maintenance. herself
CC Remove junk software from the desktop. The system takes much less time to boot up and runs Administrative efficiency
much more effectively.

Fix Internet Connection The office has DSL connectivity to the Internet. Access to markets

Configured customer management The owner is able to integrate her scheduling software Administrative efficiency
software to QuickBooks. with her accounting software.

Created web site Web site enables potential customers to see pictures of Access to markets
groomed animals, and set appointments.
Administrative efficiency

Set up backup system & processes The student helped the owner set up an on-line backup Administrative efficiency
system & plan.

Learn to use the ‘Help’ function in Owner has learned how to use software on her own. Learning & labor
software productivity

PT Integrated new PC with existing music The owner is able to record and compose music on a Competitiveness
hardware keyboard linked to music editing software on the PC.

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 An IT Therapy approach to adopting ICTs

Create a Myspace page PT gains exposure to a broad audience and is able to Access to markets
interact with that audience

DE Configured e-mail and taught DE to use Owner interacts with customers via e-mail Administrative efficiency
it.

Learned to use a spreadsheet DE is able to store customer data and track them across Administrative efficiency
multiple visits.

Implemented a backup system The owner has safeguarded his data Administrative efficiency

TC Created e-commerce web site The owner launches a new company selling custom Access to markets
made seat cushions for bicycles

Put owner in touch with free legal Owner obtained access to information for running her Access to information
services and local business development business.
information, taught owner to search
efficiently on-line

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